Selector apparatus



G. A. RIGHTER.

SELECTOR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION man DEC. 4., 1920.

Lmgm., l www@ Apr. u, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l. M94.

31a/nudo@ G. A. RIGHTER.

SELECTOR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION msn Qc.4. |920.

Patented Apr. H, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

G. A. mamen.

SELECTOR APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 050.4, 1920,.

Lml; Patented Apr. u, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

vG. A. RIGHTER.

SELECTOR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.4. 1920.

Patented Apr. u, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

law. fz.

SELECTOR iPARATUS. i

ifiiaesi.

ISpeci-.Ficatoii of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. itil, i922.

kApplication filed December 4, 192,0. Serial No. 428,406.

To n.7 w zomz't may concer/n.:

Be it known that l, GUY A. RioH'rER, a citizen ol the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Vvayne, and State or' indiana, have inventeda new and useful Selector Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

ln commercial laundries,rit is practically unavoidable that the properties ot many people become intermingled and sorting and distribution torni considerable items of eX- pense.

The object of my invention is to produce simple apparatus, a portion of which rmay be attached to each article. (upon its arrival ,at y

the laundry, or at its point emanation, and .at a time when all articlesof a group are together) bywhich, as a final ,operation preliminary to bundling, ya heterogeneous quantity ot articles may be automatically separated into desired groups.

`When the apparatus has been fully described, it will be readily appreciated -that the apparatus may be easily adapted for use inV many other ways without departing l trom my invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

1 isa diagrammatic plan of a complete installation; 2 a fragmentary plan ot one ot the selectors, an identifier and a carrier; F ig. 3 a longitudinal vertical section of a portion ot one of the carriers and an identifier in place; Fig. il asimilar view ot the'same portion of a carrier with a portion in discharging position; Fig. 5'an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 8 a fragmentary perspective of the parts shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 7 a fragmentary perspective of some ci' the parts shown in Fig. 6; Figs. 8 and 9 perspectives of two companion selectors; F ig. 10, a vertical longitudinal section of a carrier, selector and identifier in position immediately prior to a discharge ot the identifier; Fig. 11 a side elevation o'l` a complete carrier and adjacent selector; Fig. 12 an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 11; Figs. 13 and 14 elevations oli modified forms of identifiers; and Fig. 15 a fragmentary perspective of a slight modification.

ln the drawings, I have illustrated apparatus especially designed tor use in a laundry and A indicates an endless traclr supporting a series of carriers B which are yconnected by anendless belt C which may be driven in any desired manner. Associated with the track A are a loading station D,

drying room E, .and a distributing station comprisinga plurality of bins 5F adjacent each of which will be `arranged an appropriate yselector G.

Thecharacteristicyelement of my device is ,an identifier H of such character that it may be associated with an article to be identified so as to remain with it during its transportation and manipulation. In the present instance, the identifier takes the form ot a thin plate 2O appropriately notched in its upper ,edgeVas at 21, and preferably .symmetrically with relation toits middle, so that reversal will be immaterial. An appropriate .article-engaging member, (safetypin 22, Figs. 3, 5 and 12; snap-hook, Fig. 14; spring-clasp 24, lFig. 13; or other desirable form) is attached to plate 20. Each plate 2O is provided withend projections 25.

.Each carrier B is provided with supportingy wheels 30, guard wheels 31, a depending arm 32, anda U-shaped cradle 33. The hase of the cradle is centrally notched at its rear edge to form a finger-space 34. At each side ofi the cradle is a ,ledge 35 for the reception of a projection 25 of a plate 20, said ledge being conveniently formed by the upper end of an inclined .guide1 36 and flanked by spring side guards 37. Upon the inner face otl each side ot the cradle is pivoted a plate 38 provided witha .depending linger 39 and a lug 40, thearrangement being such that an identifier .may be projected upwardly between guide v36 and nger 39 (momentarily displacing the plate 38 against the action ot spring el.) rand lodged with its projections resting on Y ledges 35. The 'fingers 39 serve to retain the identifiers in place. Forward of notchBeL. is a guard cam l-2, the purpose of which will appear.

' At appropriate points along track A, as, for instance, opposite each bin F, is a hanger 50, conveniently.,vertically adjustable, as shown at 51, upon which is pivoted an appropriate selector G. In the present form, each selector G comprises a plurality of parallel strips 52, some of which. preferably in groups symmetrical with the longitudinal middle, have their lower edges projecting below the lower edges of others, corresponding in arrangement with the arrangement of notches 21 in the identifiers 20. Downward movement of each selector is limited by a tail 53 conveniently formed by an extension of one of strips 52. v

Each selector is provided, at its end, with lateral projections 54, 54, adapted to take in behind lugs 40.

As a carrier, with its support identifier and associated article, approaches a selector, the lower strips 52 `first are engaged by guard 42 and raised so as to just clear the upper edge of the identifier and thus free it from excessive wear. When guard l2 passes i the free end of selector G, the selector drops slightly and, if an inappropriate indentifier is adjacent, rests upon the upper edge of the identifier as it passes freely beneath, and projections 54: pass over, lugs 40.

If an appropriate identifier is adjacent, its notches permit the selector to drop so as to bring projections 54k in front of lugs 40 so that continued forward -movement of the carrierl swings plates 38 to the position shown inv Fig. 4i, thus withdrawing lthe retaining fingersl 39 from behind the identifier and Aforcibly pushing the, identifier off' of ledgesl of the line of the selectors 52, soY that the projec'ted ends 54 of the selectors'will engage and ride over the guards 42..`

In order to insure a proper registration of the successively presented identifiers with the respective selectors, some accurate registry mechanism may be desirable. It will, of course, be readily understood that this registering mechanism may take any one of' a number of,` satisfactory forms and in Figs. ll and l2, I have shown a construction involving a supplemental guide 100, arranged adjacentV each selecting station, in position to be straddled by the gage or registration member 101, carriedby each carriage 32, temper screws 102 being provided for accuracy. Y

l claim as my invention:

l. An apparatus, for the group selection offagglomerated articles, comprising a. carrier having ledges for the support of an article-supporting identifier, a retaining finger for normally holding suchidentifier in place'on the carrier, an ejector arranged to act upon the identifier, a selector arranged to selectively cooperate with such identifier when in place on the carrier, and means carried by the selector for acting upon the retaining linger and ejector to eject the identiier when permitted by the identifier.

An apparatus, 'for the group selection 'of agglomerated articles, comprising a carrier' having ledges for the support oi an article-supporting identifier, a retaining fin` ger for normally holding such identifier in place on the carrier, and a selector arranged to selectively cooperate with such identifier when in place on the carrier.

3. An apparatus, for the group selection of agglomerated articles, comprising a carf rier having ledges for the support oi' an article-supporting identifier, a retaining finger for normally holding such identifier in place on the carrier, a selector arranged to selectively cooperate with such identifier when in place on the carrier, and means carried bythe selector for acting upon the retaining finger to eject the identifier when permitted by the identifier.

a. An apparatus, for the'group selection of agglomerated articles, comprising a carrier having ledges for the support of an article-supporting identifier, a selector ar? ranged to selectively cooperate with an iden-A tifier when in place on the carrieryandmeans controlled by the selector for ejecting the identifier from the carrier when permitted by the identifier'.

An apparatus, for the group-selection,

of agglomerated articles, comprising a plurality of carriers connected, means for driving said carriers over a predetermined path, a plurality' of identifiers forme'd'for. separable-association 'fand transportation ywith any one of the carriers, said identifiersfhaving means lfor association with an rarticleV to be carried by the carrier, and a plurality Vof selectors arranged 'along the carrier path and each selectivelyV formed to Ycooperate with appropriately formed identifiers and Veject the same from theV carriers without disturbing non-appropriately formed identifiers. Y Y

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 29th day of November, A. D. yone thousand nine hundred and twenty.

GUY A. FIGHTER. 

